The Crystal Flame: Book 1: a Hero's Tail
by Niceguy42
Summary: Darkness rules over all, the lands of Dea are in chaos, meet Flame, a young dragon, with no parents, who has been prophesied to save the world from the clutches of Moonwalker, but unfortunately for Flame, he's been thrusted into this role a little too quickly after an event causes him to run away from his calling, he'll meet friends, foes, and learn about himself
1. Chapter 1: The Blood Red Sky

Chapter 1: the Blood Red Sky

The time had come, three years of brutal war had scarred the sacred lands of Dea for long enough, King Karai would face justice, a battle-hardened Ice Dragon was also prepared for this day, as he had been separated from his kind for long enough.

"Ichiro! Front and center!" He was called by his commanding officer.

"Yes, commander" Ichiro stood at attention.

"I need you up at the front with Celindra's battalion! Karai's forces have her pushed to the breaking point, your the best warrior I've got, so give her some support, now go!" The commander ordered.

"Sir yes sir!" Ichiro replied as he grabbed a spear and flew out to combat, he looked around for the colorful spectrum that was Celindra, then he noticed her troops pushing back a countering force from Arasoi, Karai's chief commander, as he dove down and sent his spear through the chest of a fire dragon, he yanked it out and looked behind him to see an ocean dragon.

"Where's Celindra?" Ichiro asked as he pointed to her, throwing two spears into the faces of a desert and a jungle dragon, Ichiro flew over to her to explain the situation.

"The commander said you needed backup" he told her rather bluntly as he fended off a lightning dragon.

"Why's that? Does he think a lady can't hold her own? I'm doing quite fine" she grunted as she grabbed another spear and threw it into the side of the lightning dragon's head.

"He's concerned with your entire battalion, not just you" Ichiro replied as he elbowed a fire dragon in the stomach and stabbed him in the chest with a dagger.

"How flattering…" Celindra blasted a lightning dragon with a stream of green energy, sending him flying.

"Well, like it or not, I'm with you…" Ichiro responded as they fought back-to-back.

"What do you know? And I thought they said chivalry was dead" she chuckled as they both prepared to fight more waves of the enemy…

"And all of a sudden, she…" a fire dragon was cut off by his impetuous daughter.

"Yeah, Dad, I know, you've told me this story a million times, Ichiro and Celindra managed to single-handedly push back the forces of Arasoi and win the day, and fell in love, I don't know about you, but I'm fairly bored of that story, it's too typical if you ask me" she explained as the father smiled.

"Oh, Incendia, we all have our ways of keeping history intact, unfortunately, King Karai didn't see his rule of tyranny as well...tyranny, he saw it as a necessary evil, and unfortunately, we fire dragons were on the wrong side of the war" he explained.

"I know, but...if King Magma is a strong as he says, why don't we actually help the other dragon colonies against Moonwalker, isn't he supposed to be insane?" Incendia asked.

"Unfortunately, we fire dragons took an oath to never start battles again, and live as a peaceful kingdom, besides, our little friend here is the one who will save us all" the dad replied as he looked at the bright red egg laying by his side.

"Why's that?" Incendia asked.

"Because, the prophecy states that a fire dragon born on the day of the Blood Red Sky will be the one to vanquish Moonwalker, and your little brother is the key, I've arranged to meet with his guardians in a few months when the egg hatches, and it's what your mother would've wanted" the father explained as Incendia noticed the tears forming in his eyes.

"Dad, do you mind if you could continue the story?" Incendia politely asked, figuring it would cheer him up.

"Certainly, well you see-" the father was cut off as an explosion rang throughout the village, he looked out the window to see dark black dragons entering, clad in armor.

"They're here…" he growled.

"Incendia, they've come for the egg, you must take him out of here!" The Dad explained to Incendia.

"What!? Where?" She asked frantically.

"Follow this map, it'll take you to the guardians, I'll help hold them off" he replied as Incendia started crying.

"But Dad...I don't want to leave you" she responded as he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Even if I die, I'll always be in your heart, once you've taken the egg safely from here, you must hide, you cannot return, they will surely kill you, understand?" He explained as she nodded.

"Good, now go! I'll always love you my dearest" the father told his daughter as she ran out the back door and into the forest, hearing the blood-curdling screams of different dragons as she charged further into the woods, following the map that her father gave her, soon she found herself besides a path, then she noticed what looked like a patrol nearing in on her. Thinking fast, she ducked into the bushes as the dragons walked down the path.

"Alright, spread out, that egg is here somewhere, and Moonwalker will not tolerate failure, understood?" The supposed commander instructed them as they nodded.

"Now, go find it" he ordered as they split up.

"If they find me...it's over" Incendia gulped as she snuck across the path, and into another group of shrubs, following the map all the while, she managed to stay low to the ground as she caught sight of what appeared to be a giant temple, she ran as fast as she could towards it, and furiously knocked on the door.

"Hello!? Anyone? Please let me in, it's urgent!" She cried as the massive door opened, and a large fear dragon walked out.

"What is it? Pipsqueak" he snapped as a calmer, wind dragon shoved him asked.

"Kasumi! Show some respect to the little one, she looks very shaken…" he told him off as he knelt down to Incendia's level.

"Now young one, what is it?" He asked.

"My village was attacked by Moonwalker's armies, my Dad told me to bring you this egg" she explained as the large dragon looked with intrigue.

"Let me see…" he held out his hand as Incendia handed him the bright red egg, he took it into his hands.

"Ah, yes...thank Ordona you still live, my little friend...thank you…" the large dragon looked down at her as she nodded.

"Please...take care of him for me, as far as I know, he's all the family I have left…" Incendia told him as she turned back in fear at hearing the soldiers growing near.

"Don't worry, we shall keep him safe, young one…" he replied as she nodded and bolted back into the woods, and the large dragon shut the massive door, as he walked back into the temple, Kasumi growled.

"Viir, What was that for!? She disturbed us at the worst time possible!" He snarled as Viir smacked him with his tail.

"Respect! Kasumi! She brought us the egg…" Viir replied as Kasumi's expression seemed to change.

"Really? The egg?" He asked as Viir nodded.

"Yes, this is the one...our last hope…" Viir place the egg on a pedestal to keep it warm.

"Don't worry little one, you are safe now..."

**(Hey guys, what's up, let's get some things clear, 1: this is an original story, it's just in the category of Spyro because there is no section for original tales, and the main character is a dragon, 2: this story is going to be a WIP, for me, that means that not every chapter is prewritten, and it's actually written over time so that way I don't feel like I have to rush anything, I'm in the process of expanding this lore as well as telling the events that will unfold in this story, 3: since this story isn't prewritten, chapters will be released occasionally alongside books that are prewritten, like (as an example) Labryinth of Darkness or the Ultimate Crossover, anyways, peace!)**


	2. Chapter 2: The Egg of Crystal Flames

Chapter 2: an Egg the color of Crystal Flames

14 years later

"Oof!" A small red fire dragon was flung into the wall.

"Get up" a larger dragon walked over to him, a stone cold glare lit his green eyes.

"Can we stop, Kasumi? My bones ache all over" the red dragon asked as Kasumi snorted.

"A real enemy in battle wouldn't stop, he'd keep going, Flame, you'd best remember that if you want to survive in the real world…" Kasumi replied as Flame sighed.

"But there are no more battles, the scrolls on Dea's history said that a proclamation of peace was established among the colonies, there aren't anymore wars, they wouldn't allow it" Flame explained.

"Yes, but Moonwalker is no ordinary dragon, he'll break any law just to get his way, what did Viir tell you about him?" Kasumi asked as Flame stood up.

"Well, he told me that Moonwalker was insane, and deluded with the belief that he was a messenger of the mythical dark god Oversoul, which we all know is fake" Flame explained.

"Good, very good, you have excellent memory, anyways, get up" Kasumi continued.

"I wish I knew what other dragons were like, I want to meet more of my kind" Flame responded as Kasumi sighed.

"You have met other dragons: me, Viir, and we teach you all you need to know to save the world" Kasumi told him as Flame shook his head.

"No, I mean, dragons my age, you know, fellow teenagers, I don't know anything about anyone like me, what is the outside world even like?" Flame asked.

"I think you've had enough training for one day, go on, and quit thinking about such things" Kasumi grumbled as Flame sighed and walked out of the training dojo.

"Quit thinking about such things, what does he mean?" Flame grumbled as he went to his quarters, he collapsed onto his bed face first and groaned as he felt his aching body, everything was in pain in one way or another, then he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in…" Flame said blandly as Viir entered.

"What's wrong, little one?" He asked.

"Nothing, it's just that Kasumi's been a little rough on me lately, that's all" Flame sighed as Viir chuckled.

"Oh, Kasumi can get like that sometimes, he's been training dragons since before you were born, he's bound to be grumpy, fear not, my young Flame, you have no rivals here" Viir replied as Flame sat up.

"Yeah, but whenever I bring up the outside world, he just...freezes up, like he doesn't want me to know anything about my heritage, where I came from, any of it" Flame explained as Viir sat down beside Flame.

"Kasumi has issues with the real world, he didn't live an easy life, not compared to you or me" Viir told him.

"Easy? My life has been anything but easy, I've been prophesied to save the world, that ain't no cake walk" Flame scoffed as Viir showed his amusement.

"Just try not to be so harsh on him, he's been through a lot you know…" Viir replied as Flame nodded.

"I suppose…" Flame sighed as Viir lifted his head up.

"Now, little one, don't be so disappointed...it's time for dinner, I've prepared your favorite meal, turkey soup" Viir said as Flame rolled his eyes.

"That's the only meal I eat" he replied as Viir chuckled once more.

"Therefore, it's your favorite" Viir smiled as Flame's mood seemed to be risen a little, as Viir led the young fire dragon out of his room and to the dining table, Flame was still having doubts, he then looked at the entrance, it was restricted for him, once when he was very young, he went out against orders, and he got a strict talking to from Kasumi. Of course, he was too young to remember what everything looked like, but he'd been told the story by Viir, and it explained why he always subconsciously never went near that door, soon enough, they sat down at the table as Kasumi joined them.

"Well, let's eat" Viir told both of them as he brought out the soup, as he poured some into Flame's bowl, he grimaced a little, he had this meal everyday, he remembered a time when he was young enough to remember, he complained about it, and Kasumi nearly got a muzzle for him, since then that was the lesson he learned on respect, as he dipped the spoon in the warm broth, lifted it out, and blew on it, he got this tingling sensation from it as he sipped it down, the warm liquid soothing his taste buds, apparently he didn't realize how hungry he was, as he drank it purely from the bowl, once again causing Viir to chuckle.

"Kasumi must've really made you hungry, little one" he looked at the grumpy elder.

"Hmph, didn't do much, all I did was toss him around a little bit and then he started talking about the outside world" Kasumi grunted as Flame looked up at him.

"I think I'm full...and exhausted…" Flame yawned as Viir smiled.

"Very well, little one, you may go to bed, Kasumi was training you the whole day, was he not?" He eyes Kasumi as he grumbled.

"Whatever" Kasumi snorted as Flame sat up and walked back to his quarters for the night, and Viir turned back to face Kasumi .

"Go easy on him, old friend, he's still very young, you know" Viir said to him.

"Hmm...I think he's just not meant to be taught by us, all great leaders learn to do so by themselves, you know" Kasumi replied.

"Be that as it may, we shall continue to prepare him for the day that he must leave" Viir explained.

Meanwhile, Flame blew out the lamp by his bedside and sat there, staring out the window at the piercing gaze of the two full moons, he always admired it, even though they were the only things he could see, everything else was always obscured, no one wanted him leaving at all, his eyes soon drifted off as he closed them and fell asleep…

"Flame! Wake up!" The fire dragon was startled out of his bed as he saw Viir in front of him.

"What? What!?" Flame was startled as Viir helped him up.

"Moonwalker's forces have found us, you must leave before they find you" Viir explained.

"What!? Out there? It's the middle of the night!" Flame exclaimed as Viir calmed him.

"I know, but right now you must leave, or else all is lost, soon they heard a loud crash and Kasumi roaring in defiance.

"Come on, Flame, this way" Viir led him out of his room and to a back door.

"But, Viir, I know nothing of what's out there, what if I die? What if you die?" Flame asked frantically as Viir knelt down beside him.

"It'll be alright, little one, now go" he opened the door, and Flame charged out into the forest, looking back one last time, and then rushing off further, he ran through bushes and shrubs, getting scrapes and bruises all he tripped over a log, as he stood up straight, he kept on running before finding a place to rest in a clearing, he looked around and set his sights on a large tree, he could rest there, as he spread his wings and flew up to it, he just realized this was the first time he actually flew, he wobbled around a little as he shakily landed on a large branch, he then realized he had landed on an abandoned birds nest.

"It'll do" Flame sighed as he did his best to spread it out, making it large enough for him, then he looked out into the forest, and heard a number of unfamiliar noises as he eventually regained his exhaustion, and dozed off once again, thinking of the events that had just unfolded.

**(Aright, some things to go over, I started writing this on Google Docs, and it was only recently that I had the idea to put this on this website, as such, I was already finished with Chapter 5, so until that Chapter, these will be released on a usual time table, also I'm now accepting story submissions, pm any story ideas you have for me, the one's I'll most like do are ones that involve Spyro and Cynder, peace)**


	3. Chapter 3: A Rough Meeting

Chapter 3: a Rough Meeting

Flame groggily opened his eyes as he looked at his surroundings, he was still in the nest, although it seemed to have fallen apart due to his repositioning throughout the night, as he stood up and stretched, he lost his balance and fell onto the ground.

"Ow…" he said, muffled by the dirt as he stood up and brushed the crumbs off his shoulders, he never did know how beautiful nature was as he stared at the dark green leaves on the strong tree barks.

"Wow…" he trailed off, then his stomach growled, he was never taught to hunt, he'd have to wait on breakfast, right now he needed to get out of here, he started walking off in a single direction as he found an abandoned path, he started walking down said path as he found his way to a sign.

"Welcome to the Uathine settlement…" Flame read the sign as he kept walking, soon enough he came across what looked like a completely decimated village, everything was destroyed, completely abandoned.

"What happened here?" Flame thought to himself, unaware that he was being watched, he continued walking through the destroyed settlement, building's burnt to the ground, he found his way inside one of them, and looked around, the living quarters were wrecked, it looked like there was a nest for an egg over in the corner, as he walked over to it and picked it up, he stared with curiosity.

"This could've been mine…" Flame muttered as he put it down, the kitchen was completely ransacked, everything was gone, taken, nothing was left behind except for a few pots and pans, whoever did this was either desperate, or was doing a very thorough search for something, come to think of if, neither Viir or Kasumi had told him where he came from, this must've been where his parents lived, he could've had a very different life here, and it was all robbed from him, he picked up one of the pans, then set it back down as he walked back outside, looking around him, he needed to find an actual village that was populated, plus he was starving.

"Goodbye, hypothetical home…" Flame looked back at the village, and kept going, as he kept traveling down the path, he eventually made it to another clearing with a large tree in the center.

"Great, I seem to be running into all sorts of familiar landmarks now...I'm not getting anywhere at this rate…" Flame grumbled, then he remembered Viir and Kasumi, he prayed that they'd be okay, then he heard some shuffling behind him, he turned around to see nothing, sighing in relief, he turned back to be startled by a black dragon, falling to the ground.

"Woah! Where'd you come from? And who are you?" Flame asked as the dragon grabbed him by the neck.

"I'm the one whose asking questions here, Fire dragon!" The dragon's voice appeared to be feminine, but she was cloaked, so Flame couldn't see anything.

"Let me go!" Flame kicked and struggled as the dragon kept him in her grip, eventually Flame kicked her stomach as she let go, while he wasn't taught in hunting, he had plenty of battle training.

"Listen, I don't want to fight...I'm just looking for the nearest village" Flame tried to reason with her, but she charged at him.

"Ahh!" Flame was grabbed as they rolled across the ground, Flame slashed her in defense as her mask was torn off, revealing her face, she was magenta with teal eyes, Flame felt a little attracted to her, but right now he was blocking her multiple continuous attacks as he rolled off of her.

"What part of 'I don't want to fight' didn't sink in?" Flame asked as she retained a cold hard glare, and she rammed him into the side of the tree, then he noticed a group of rabbits that were traveling through the clearing, Flame threw the dragon over onto the ground, but she grabbed a small axe inside her pocket, and threw it at him, he ducked, and it chopped through the tree's bark.

"What the!? How does that work?" Flame was baffled, but then he noticed the tree was toppling down towards the dragon and the critters.

"Oh no, they'll be crushed!" Flame knew he couldn't let innocent creatures die, or that dragon, even if she did attack, there was probably a reason to it, thinking fast, he grabbed a vine that was hanging on the tree, he grabbed it and swung over to the dragon and the creatures, grabbing both of them, and getting out of the way as the tree crashed into the ground, Flame had the creatures run off into the bushes.

"And stay away from trouble from now on" Flame called out to them, snickering at the realization that they couldn't understand him, then he turned to the dragon who attacked him.

"Now, Just who are you?" Flame asked the dragon as she stood up slowly.

"I should be asking you the same thing, Fire Dragon" she pointed at him.

"What? I'm confused, why did you attack me? I don't want to hurt anyone" Flame confesses as the dragon appeared a little confused.

"Really? Then what were you doing in that village back there?" She questioned.

"I was visiting my home! At least…I thought it was, I've never seen any dragons my age before…" Flame sighed as the dragon removed the rest of her robes.

"Where did you come from exactly?" She asked.

"Like I said, I never knew my parents, but I've been prophesied to save the world or something, but I had to run away and now...I don't even know where to go" Flame explained as her eyes widened.

"That's you!? You mean you've never even been exposed to other dragons, or anything?" She asked as Flame nodded.

"Well, this changes everything, come with me, I'll take you to a village nearby, then maybe we can know more about each other" she suggested.

"Wait! I don't even know your name" Flame replied as she turned.

"My name's Alida, now come on" Alida beckoned Flame to follow her as he complied, and the two set out to find a settlement.


	4. Chapter 4: Cultural Experience

Chapter 4: Cultural Experience 

"What is this place?" Flame asked as he and Alida entered into a populated town.

"This is the town of Meledon, legend has it this was one of the first colonies set up after the Great War of Dea, did your teachers tell you anything about the war?" Alida asked as Flame shrugged.

"Yeah, they did, they told me all about the history of Dea, King Karai, the colonies, everything, battle training, but uh...they never taught me how to hunt and…" Flame's stomach grumbled.

"I'm a little hungry" he winced as Alida giggled.

"This way, I know a tavern where we can eat at" she replied as she led him through the town, Flame was fascinated by everything he saw, the art, the jewelry, the different types of dragons, he read about all the different species: Fire, Electric, Earth, Ice, Wind, Jungle, Fear, Poison, Shadow, Ocean, Desert, Dark, and Light, but he'd never seen any of them in person, other than Viir or Kasumi, he kept sight of Alida as she navigated them through the medium sized crowd.

"I've never seen this many dragons before, there's so many, what's that over there?" Flame was at a loss for words as his curiosity had to be tamed by Alida dragging him through the whole crowd.

"Come on, I'll give you a tour later" Alida grunted as Flame sighed and eventually complied as they found the tavern.

"Here it is, The Darkwing tavern" Alida showed Flame the building as Flame looked in curiosity, as they entered, the place was filled with dragons of all kinds.

"Woah, this place is really filled to the brink!" Flame exclaimed as Alida chuckled.

"Well, you'll like Beatrix, she runs this place, there are rumors that suggest she was one of the few remaining dragons who lived through the Great War, and that she was responsible for setting up the laws that forbid any war or combat in any of the colonies, of course no one has proven if those rumors are true, the only one who knows is Beatrix herself, but she doesn't say, she says she likes mystifying the people" Alida explained as Flame took in the information.

"Sooo...where is this Beatrix?" Flame asked as Alida pointed at the bar table, and sat down.

"She'll come down, sit with me" Alida beckoned Flame as he sat next to her.

"Isn't the legal age for drinking like 22 or something?" Flame asked as Alida giggled.

"Wow, your trainers really did teach you everything, don't worry, we're not getting any alcoholic beverages" Alida replied.

"Yeah, that's right, because if you did, I'd clobber you" Flame turned to see an elderly Wind dragon walking out.

"Hi Beatrix" Alida waved and smiled.

"Hello Alida, who's your friend?" Beatrix asked.

"This is Flame, and he's pretty hungry" Alida introduced Flame to her as she nodded.

"Please, help yourselves, here's a menu" she gave out a menu to the two of them. "It's on the house" she walked off as They looked at the menu.

"There's...so many options" Flame was very baffled as Alida smirked.

"You sound as if you've never eaten a decent meal in your life" she replied.

"All I've ever been given to eat was soup" Flame's response made Alida giggle again.

"Sounds like you had an interesting life" she told him as he nodded.

"Wait, what's a Porkchop?" Flame asked.

"Oh, it's a big chunk of meat that's covered with some salt, and it's very juicy, and well...meaty" Alida explained as Flame licked his lips in anticipation.

"I think I found my choice" Flame told her as she rang the bell, and Beatrix walked back.

"What can I get you dears?" She asked.

"I'll have a Porkchop" Flame requested as Alida said she wanted a lamb sandwich.

"Coming right up, any drinks?" She asked.

"Oh um, what's Milk?" Flame asked as Beatrix looked a little odd.

"You really are not from here, are you?" She asked as Flame shrugged.

"You could say that" Flame replied as Alida laughed a little.

"He'll just take the Milk, as for me, the usual" she told Beatrix as she nodded.

"Coming right up, dears" Beatrix took the menus as she walked into the back to prepare the meals.

"So, Flame, tell me more about yourself" Alida said to him as he looked at her.

"Well, uh...I've been secluded from civilization my whole life, I never knew my parents, I've been destined to save the world" Flame told her all the specifics. "What about you?" He asked.

"Well, I've traveled alone for years, I have friends, but not many, I've got loving parents" as Alida said this, she realized Flame's disappointment at not having his own parents.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot…" Alida trailed off.

"It's nothing, you didn't have to deal with Kasumi, he was a piece of work" Flame's response made Alida giggle a little.

"I bet he was" she said as Beatrix brought out their meals.

"Here you are, one Porkchop, and a Lamb Sandwich, enjoy, I'll go get your beverages" Beatrix left them to the food, Flame then picked up the fork and knife.

"So, how do I eat this?" Flame asked as Alida playfully sighed and took the silverware.

"Well, you cut off a piece like so...and then, open wide…" she joked around with Flame as he reluctantly opened his mouth, and the fork went in, as she pulled it out, Flame kept chewing on the piece, and his eyes lit up.

"Holy crap! This is amazing!" He muffled through his food as Alida smiled and set the fork on his plate, he finally managed to swallow the piece as he grabbed the fork and knife and cut it like Alida had done, and ate another piece, while Alida ate her sandwich, eventually they finished their meal and beverages.

"Come on, let me show you around the town, thanks Beatrix" Alida called out as she nodded and sent them off.

"Okay, follow me" she told Flame as she ran off.

"Hey, Wait!" Flame cried after her as he pursued.


	5. Chapter 5: Touring the Town

Chapter 5: Touring the Town

"This is a cloak, it's usually used for warmth and to conceal yourself for whatever reason" Alida explained to Flame.

"Like a blanket?" He asked as she nodded.

"Mostly, come on, there's more to see" she grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the store.

"Wait, Wait, what's a grocery store?" Flame asked as Alida kept dragging him.

"There's much more interesting things than a food store" was all she said as she pulled him further into town, eventually Alida led them to a small garden.

"These are flowers, they're pretty vibrant in color, and each of them tell different stories about them, their history and what not" Alida explained as Flame looked very astonished.

"They're all so beautiful" Flame responded as Alida nodded.

"These are Roses, they're usually identifiable by their vibrant red colors, that's Marigold, those are Sunflowers, and these are Geraniums" she explained as Flame picked one of the Rose stems.

"Wow…" Flame sighed in relaxation as he breathed in the scent of the flower, then he looked over to his right.

"Hey, what's that?" He ran over to a fruit cart as Alida followed.

"So, what exactly is a Mango?" He asked as Alida giggled.

"Your trainers didn't show you much of anything about the outside world, did they?" She asked as Flame shook his head in embarrassment.

"Well, a Mango is a fruit, it's very sweet and pungent, and this is an Apple, there are more than a dozen types of Apples in the entire world, but to be simple, this is a red Apple, which most variants look like, this is a honey gold apple, which is yellow, a rare type, and these are Granny Smiths, a green apple, these ones are a little more sour than others" Alida explained as Flame understood, he took one of the Granny Smiths and took a bite out of it, immediately he was hit with all these different flavors.

"Woah! And to think that all I've ever eaten was soup for my whole life" Flame once more said muffled through the food.

"Well, you might want to eat with your mouth closed, it's proper etiquette" Alida whispered to him as he closed his mouth, blushing in embarrassment, eventually he finished and they continued on their way.

"So, Alida, where exactly do you live?" Flame asked.

"Oh, I am usually on the move, and right now I'm traveling with you" Alida explained as Flame nodded.

"So...do you have any friends?" Flame asked another question.

"A few, but like me, they tend to travel by themselves, what about you? Do you have any friends?" Alida then remembered that question was in poor taste.

"Well, not really, I've never met any other dragons my own age before now, like I said, all I had were my teachers, Viir and Kasumi, and now they're gone" Flame trailed off.

"I'm sorry I asked" Alida replied sympathetically.

"Hey, don't worry about it, I'm having way too much fun learning about the world right now" Flame's smile lightened the mood as Alida decided to show him the center of the town.

"What is the place exactly?" Flame asked as he set his sights on a large tower in the middle.

"Well this town used to be a camp sight for an ancient dragon tribe, who worshipped the mythical god Toru, of course, he's not a real god, but the citizens have kept the shrine to honor their ancestors who came before them" Alida explained as Flame looked in interest, then Alida looked over at him.

"Hey, Flame, have you ever flown before?" She asked as Flame shrugged.

"Once or Twice, did it last night so I could rest on a tree, the only other time I can think of it was a horrible lesson with Kasumi" Flame answered.

"Well, let me show you a little lesson in flying, come on!" Immediately she spread her magenta wings and took off.

"What the-!?" Flame was surprised by her speed as he spread his own wings and followed.

"Hey! Wait up!" Flame cried out as he wobbled a little, soon Alida stayed in one spot as she flapped her wings.

"Woah!" Flame wobbled again as tried to control his positioning, causing Alida to chuckle.

"Here, try keeping yourself in a single area, flap your wings repeatedly at a single pace, like me" Alida suggested as she showed her wings beating repetitively.

"Okay…" Flame tried it as he managed to stay in one spot.

"Good job! Now comes the test" Alida replied as Flame looked confused.

"Test? What test?" Flame watched as Alida zoomed off into the distance.

"Okay, concentrate" Flame told himself as he tried flying after Alida at a surprisingly fast speed, catching up with her.

"Look! I'm doing it!" Flame cheered as Alida laughed.

"Yeah, you are!" She responded as Flame continued going much faster, he felt so free as the wind blew through his wings, when he looked at them, they flowed bright orange and red, they were so vibrant, when he looked back he saw countless mountains, bodies of water, plains, Savannahs, Deserts, he never knew how expansive Dea was, eventually he turned around and caught sight of Alida leading him back to the village, as he came down to the ground, his landing was a little choppy as he attempted to steady himself.

"It's okay, you got this" Alida encouraged him as he landed.

"Wow, I didn't know you could fly that fast" she continued.

"Neither did I, and the world is so beautiful" Flame replied.

"If I'm being honest, we don't deserve Dea, we don't take enough time to respect all this life" Alida voiced her opinion.

"Yeah…" Flame trailed off, then something seemed to pop into Alida's mind.

"Hey, follow me, I have something to show you" she beckoned Flame as he followed her back to the Darkwing Tavern, she led him inside over to what looked like a reclining area, she had him sat down, and pulled out a box of some sorts, placed it on the table, and sat on the couch across from him.

"What's this?" Flame asked.

"This is called a board game, this is called Territories (loosely based on Risk), you get a certain amount of troops, and then you try to conquer the world, there are ways you can gain more troops over time, but this takes time usually, it's a game of strategy" Alida explained as Flame nodded.

"You can be green, red, blue, yellow, or white, take your pick" she gave him all the options, as he picked red, Alida picked green.

"Now, uh, this game, can get some people a little riled up, it's known for sometimes collapsing friendships" Alida warned him as he looked confused.

"I don't understand, if that's the case, then why did you pick this game specifically?" Flame asked.

"Because, silly, I have a feeling your too nice to turn down someone you just met, plus I want to see your strategic game" she answered as Flame shrugged, and they started the game…

"Got you! I win!" Flame celebrated and stood up dancing as Alida laughed uncontrollably.

"Oh yeah! I won! My first game and I won!" Flame cheered as Alida stood up and walked over to him.

"Well, just remember to not do that with everyone, it'll be seen as being a bad sport, good game" Alida shook Flame's hand, eventually they realized that it was nighttime outside.

"We should call it a night, hey Beatrix!" Alida called the elderly dragon as she popped out.

"Yes, dear?" She asked as Flame and Alida walked to her.

"Two rooms, please?" She requested as Beatrix pulled out some keys.

"Once again, it's on the house" she smiled in a friendly manner as Alida thanked her and took the keys, soon they found their rooms.

"I had fun today" Flame smiled as Alida nodded.

"Me too, see you tomorrow…" she responded as she opened her door and entered the room, then the door closed behind her, leaving Flame out in the hall, alone, after pondering the events that happened in the last two days, he opened his own door and called it a night.

**(Well, now that we're here, these chapters will take time to write, so be patient, peace!)**


	6. Chapter 6: the Social Class

Chapter 6: the Social Class

Sunlight filled the room as Flame sat up, stretched and yawned, he looked around to see nothing but the empty room, he scratched his back as he leaped out of bed.

"I wonder if Alida's up, yet?" He wondered as he pushed his room door open, and stepped out into the hall, immediately an aroma of smell hit his nostrils as he looked from side-to-side, trying to figure out what that smell was, he followed it's scent out to the main lobby and diner, where Alida was sitting at the bar, when she caught sight of Flame, she waved and beckoned him to come over.

"Good morning, Alida, man I don't think I've ever slept this late" Flame stretched once again as Alida looked back at him.

"Then your teachers must've gotten you up early" she replied as Flame nodded.

"Oh, you have no idea…" he responded as he sat down beside her.

"Well, today I was figuring we could head out and continue traveling" Alida replied. "We might be able to make it to the Kingdom of Flames and present you to King Magma" she continued.

"Are you sure?" Flame asked.

"It's the only way, we can make a few pit stops in the neighboring kingdoms, but we need to reach King Magma, and we can't let anyone find out who you are" she explained.

"Then let's go, but first, shouldn't we get some supplies?" Flame asked as Alida nodded.

"Come on" she beckoned as they left the Darkwing Tavern, and they set out to find some things for their voyage.

"First thing on the list is food, come with me, there should be a local market near the center of town" Alida explained as they walked off in that direction, as they walked through the town, Flame was still fairly fascinated with the town's culture, eventually they made their way to the market, and Alida helped lead Flame around and picked out the various foods they needed, some raw meat, fruit, beverages.

"That should be everything for food" Alida told him as they walked out of the market, it was then that they were stopped by an Ocean Dragon.

"Well, well, we'll, and who might you be? I thought I knew everybody in Meledon" he asked as Alida puffed out her chest, much to Flame's surprise.

"We're no one that you should be concerned about, now if you excuse me, my friend and I are about to leave" Alida began walking off, but was stopped by the Ocean Dragon.

"No no, I insist, you and your...uh, boyfriend, can come back with me and we can get acquainted" he suggested as Alida flared.

"He is not my boyfriend!" She snapped in defense, Flame shrunk back a little, taken aback by that statement, he didn't know why he felt like that, it just seemed natural to feel that way.

"Huh, well, I'm Tachyon, pleased to make your acquaintance, and I-" Tachyon was cut off as a pair of dragons covered in black armor entered the town square.

"Those are Darkwings! I've read about them in the scrolls, Moonwalker's elite guard" Flame explained.

"We've gotta get out of here, Tachyon, please help us" Alida requested as Tachyon looked a little suspicious.

"Now what could you possibly give me in return?" He asked, a little smugly, causing Alida to growl.

"Woah, calm down, I'm just playing, smugness isn't my thing, anyone who got the attention of the elite guard seems important enough to rescue, come on, I'll show you a secret passage" Tachyon led them off as Alida looked back at Flame.

"Sorry about that outburst…" Alida apologized as Flame shrugged.

"Your fine, but we are friends, right?" Flame asked as Alida nodded.

"Friends" she smiled as they followed Tachyon, stopping behind the occasional building wall to keep the Darkwings from spotting them.

"This way…" Tachyon whispered as he rolled across the street into another alleyway, Alida did the same, while Flame sprinted across.

"The passage shouldn't be far from here" Tachyon told them as they crossed over to the nearby fields, as soon as they made to the fields, they proceeded to crawl through the tall grass, eventually they made it to a tunnel of sorts.

"Here, this is the passage" Tachyon showed them the tunnel.

"You know, you could come with us" Flame suggested.

"Seriously?" Alida asked.

"Well, the more help we've got, the better" he smiled innocently as Alida sighed.

"Fine, but if he causes trouble, I'll slit his throat" she grumbled as Tachyon chuckled.

"She's playing hard to get…" he smirked as he walked into the tunnel, Flame sighed and looked back at the village before he himself walking into the passage…

"So how long until we get out of this cave, I think every inch of my claws are covered in dirt" Alida complained as Tachyon looked ahead.

"We shouldn't be that far, once we head out, we'll be close to the Rainforest" Tachyon replied.

"Lovely, I've heard great things about Jungle Dragons, they have these vibrant scales, but are exceptionally hostile, they don't trust anyone, not since the Great War" Alida explained. "No way this'll go wrong"

"Guys, stop" Flame barged in between them and walked ahead, soon enough he saw a glowing light, out of excitement he ran further into it, and he slid out into what looked like a giant rainforest.

"Woah!" Flame was amazed as Tachyon and Alida came out after.

"This is the Jungle" Tachyon explained.

"I never knew the trees were so tall" Flame took a step back as Alida giggled.

"Come on, we need to get to the main kingdom, and request assistance from Queen Dazzio" she yanked Flame by the wing as they trekked down a conveniently placed dirt path, Flame would occasionally looked to both sides to see all kinds of Jungle critters roaming about, Toucans and Macaws and other kinds of exotic birds Flame never even knew existed, he saw a Jaguar in the forest as it pounced on its prey, ever so elegantly, and the humid, damp air seeped beneath his scales as the dirt got caught up in his claws.

"The Rainforest is always so beautiful…" Tachyon sighed.

"Maybe, but don't forget our priority, we need to reach the central kingdom" Alida told them as Flame rushed up ahead.

"There's so much to see, I've never felt so warm before, it's amazing!" Flame exclaimed in excitement as he hovered in the air, causing Alida to giggle.

"Settle down, Flame, we've got to keep going" she explained as Flame landed beside her and kept walking.

"Listen guys, I'm gonna let you in on something, I've got an old friend in one of the colonies here in the rainforest, his name is Raijin, he'll be able to get us through the rainforest and too Queen Dazzio, she should be able to give us transportation to the Kingdom of Flames" Tachyon explained.

"Yeah, but you're forgetting one thing, the Jungle dragons aren't exactly trusting towards others, what's to stop them from attacking us?" Alida asked.

"I'm surprised you forgot about the anti-combat laws that were established in the colonies, besides, there are tons of none Jungle dragons living in the rainforest" Flame replied as Alida blushed in embarrassment.

"Oh yeah...forgot about that" she chuckled a little as they continued walking down the path, then Flame heard a slight snap around him.

"Shh! Did you hear that?" He asked the others as they stopped and listened.

"I get the feeling we're being watched…" Alida replied as Tachyon agreed.

"Stay on guard" Flame replied as they all faced into the dense rainforest, then, a sudden surge of vibrant dragons burst out of the jungle, and they surrounded them, spears pointed at them.

"You've got a lot of nerve…" one of the dragons walked up to Tachyon.

"...coming back here" he growled as Tachyon looked a little unsure.

"Aaaaa!" He lightened up as he hugged him and patted him on the back. "Tachyon, my buddy! It's so good to see you" he laughed as Tachyon returned it.

"It's great to see you as well, Raijin" he replied as he smiled at Flame and Alida.

"This is my friend I told you all about" Tachyon told them as Raijin greeted Flame.

"And who might this beautiful creature be?" Raijin took notice of Alida as she backed away.

"Back off, don't make me break your wing" Alida retorted as Raijin chuckled.

"Playing hard to get, I see" he replied as Flame barged between them.

"Listen, while I'd love to sit here and watch you miserably attempt to flirt with Alida, but can you take us to a village or something?" Flame asked as Raijin nodded and led them in the direction of settlement, Alida walked up besides Flame and smirked at him.

"Thanks for getting me out of that situation" she told him as Flame nodded.

"Anything for a friend…" he replied.

"Though I get the feeling that we might be a little more than that" Flame thought to himself as they eventually came to a village.

"Welcome to the Llinna settlement, I'll see if I can convince the tavern owner to let you guys spend the night, why exactly are you here, anyway?" Raijin asked Tachyon.

"Let's just say that fire dragon might be part of a very specific prophecy, and we need to get him to King Magma" he replied as Raijin's eyes widened.

"So your part of the prophecy?" He asked Flame as he nodded nervously. "Well, then the Tavern owner will have to let you guys stay, come on, guards, leave us" Raijin ordered as the guards walked off, and they walked through the village. Flame noticed a large amount of female dragons were staring at him with interest.

"Just keep walking…" he told himself as he continued walking with the others.

"Alida, I can't help but get the feeling everyone's staring, and I specifically mean the females, I'm feeling very uncomfortable" Flame whispered to her as she giggled a little.

"Well, they can't help it, you are a handsome idiot, just be careful, you might be a big topic for them" she replied as they kept walking, eventually Raijin led them to the Tavern.

"This is the Reyva Tavern, come on in" Raijin led them inside, as they entered, Flame noticed how vastly different from it was from the Darkwing Tavern, they made their way to the front desk as another vibrant dragon walked up to the desk on the other side.

"Ah, Raijin, my friend, what can I do you for?" He asked.

"Well, I would like to pay for some friends of mine to spend the night in your Tavern" Raijin here out some gold coins and placed them in his hand, then he pulled out three keys and gave them to Flame, Alida, and Tachyon.

"There you are, I suggest you retire for the night, it's almost dark" he suggested as Flame looked out the window in surprise.

"Wow, it's really already night?" He asked as the dragon nodded.

"Time really flies around here" he explained as they all went to their respective rooms.

"Flame?" Alida blurted as Flame was about to enter his room.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Just wanted to say that you are a very interesting dragon, your history, your life, and it's been actually very fun getting to teach you about Dea" she replied as Flame laughed.

"Aw shucks, your an interesting case yourself" he smirked as she smiled.

"Well, goodnight then" she responded as she entered her room, leaving Flame by himself as he too entered his room, and called it a night.


	7. Chapter 7: Failed Attempts

Chapter 7: Failed Attempts

Flame sat at one of the Tavern's tables eating some of his breakfast, he felt exhausted, last night he had this awful dream, with a mysterious dragon telling him about the coming Darkness, and apparently, there would be one who stuck by his side throughout it all, but it didn't help how cryptic this dragon was, as she told him nothing helpful. Eventually he caught sight of Alida and Tachyon walking out into the lobby.

"Hey guys…" Flame yawned as Alida and Tachyon sat across from him.

"Something tells me you didn't sleep well" Tachyon replied.

"Well, I had this very, very cryptic dream, I don't know what it means, but somehow it was good enough to deplete my eight hours of sleep" Flame explained as Alida grew concerned.

"Well, I think we should consider staying in town at least one more day, if Flame's tired, we shouldn't risk trying to get to the Kingdom of Flames, it'll only put more weight down on us" Tachyon suggested as Alida agreed.

"We should at least consider checking out this settlement, it might have a few different aspects from Meledon, and we can get any supplies we missed back in the last village" Alida pointed out as Flame yawned and nodded.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Tachyon asked as they managed to get Flame up on his feet and take him outside the tavern.

"Alright, Raijin said we could spend as much time as we need here, so let's make the most of it" Alida pointed out as they split up.

"Hey wait!" Flame tried to call them but they both left.

"Well, that's great…" he sighed as he walked through the town by himself, looking at all the individual stores, a lot of the Jungle Dragons were staring at him with interest, especially the females, Flame was a little nervous about it as he tried to keep to himself, but he only succeeded in drawing more attention to himself.

"Wow, and who might you be?" One of the females walked up to him as Flame shivered.

"Um...uh…" he stammered as another female walked to his side.

"You are perhaps the handsomest Fire Dragon I've ever seen" she held his face by his cheeks as the other female walked to her and batted her away.

"Now just hold on, he's mine!" She snarled at the other one as they started fighting over him, Flame backed up slowly, when a third female grabbed him from behind and had him walk with her.

"Come on, let's leave those two cats to themselves…" she tried to take him to what seemed to be her house, but Flame was able to try and break free.

"Actually, I've got something going on right...now…at...the, um, store! Yeah, the store…" Flame tried to talk his way out of it, but the female grabbed his arm and pulled him close to her chest.

"Sorry, but the store can wait" she said rather seductively as Flame shivered again in uncertainty, she led him into the house and closed the door, Flame watched as she tried to lead him upstairs. He reluctantly followed, but when he entered a stranger room to the side, he saw a chair with straps, and then he was pushed onto it by the female.

"At last...I have you!" She grinned as Flame's hands were automatically strapped in.

"Ahh! What the-!?" Flame exclaimed as the female started circling him.

"You've given Moonwalker a run for his money, escaping the temple, evading his troops, your a real piece of work, but now I found you, and Kolgrim has offered to give me all the time I want to play with you, just as long as I give you to him afterwards…" she explained as Flame struggled.

"Oh, don't bother, you can break free, so now it's just you and me, alone…" the female leaned in for a kiss, and managed to get him on the lips, but suddenly a purple dragon broke through the door.

"What!?" The female was enraged, as she tried to leap at him, he froze her in the air with some kind of purple aura, and tossed her into the wall, then he broke Flame's restraints.

"Come on!" He pulled Flame out of the room and out of the house, managing to take him deep into town.

"This way…" he took a left and had him and Flame hide in the food market.

"Okay, we should be safe now" the purple dragon led Flame through the crowd.

"Okay, okay, listen here, who are you? What was that magic? Why are you rescuing me? Do you know me?" Flame asked one question after another as the purple dragon turned to him.

"First off, name's Spyro, I've been watching you for awhile, I'm part of an unknown dragon tribe, strictly studious in forms of Magic, I know you, Flame, because you certainly gave Moonwalker a run for his money as she put it, and also because of the prophecy. I'm gonna make this clear, you must reach the Kingdom of Shadows, it'll be one of the closest routes to the Kingdom of Flames, you need to find your friends Alida and Tachyon, don't ask how I know their names, I just do, and I'll be your eyes from the sky of sorts, keeping watch for you, but now you've gotta go" Spyro explained as Flame looked confused.

"Trust me on this, you've gotta get going, I'll get Alida and Tachyon to meet you at the Tavern, good luck" and with that, Spyro disappeared.

"Okay, what?" Flame grew more confused, but it was obvious that Moonwalker was onto them, he figured it would be best to return to the Tavern, especially if Spyro was true to his word. As he arrived back at the Tavern, he saw Alida and Tachyon waiting.

"Hey, Flame, you won't believe this, this weird purple dragon came up to me and told me to come here, do you know anything about that?" Tachyon asked as Flame grew a little unsettled.

"Um, I'd rather not talk about it, but listen, we got to go to the Kingdom of Shadows, it's one of the closest routes to the Kingdom of Flames" Flame explained as Alida and Tachyon looked at one another.

"The Kingdom of Shadows...I don't know" Alida sounded unsure as Flame looked confused.

"Why?" He asked as Alida turned around in uncertainty.

"It's just...I'm a Shadow Dragon, yet, I don't think it's a good idea to go back, Queen Falcorina isn't the most benevolent of rulers, if we go, I find it best we avoid any attention" she answered as Tachyon and Flame took in this information.

"Well, we'll go together, what's the worst that could happen?" Tachyon grinned as Alida looked up at him.

"Don't make that stupid face" she growled as Tachyon chuckled.

"Come on, Raijin showed me another one of those tunnels, we can get to the Kingdom of Shadows faster" Tachyon directed them to another tunnel as they entered.

"By the way, Alida, did you get any more supplies?" Flame asked as she nodded and opened her bag.

"I got some more fruits for you to try, and just for the group primarily, I also got some more equipment in case we encounter any unexpected terrain issues" Alida listed off all her items as Flame looked in interest, they eventually made it to the other end of the tunnel.

"Well, here we are, the Kingdom of Shadows" Tachyon showed them the darkened sky.

"Wait? Why is it night?" Flame asked.

"The Kingdom of Shadows, for reasons unexplained, is always night, no matter what time of day it is anywhere else in Dea, it's still night here" Alida explained as they moved out and prepared to set foot in the kingdom.

**(Alright, one thing I made clear was that Spyro and Cynder had virtually nothing to do with this story, but that doesn't mean I can't use their names or colors, okay? Okay, peace out)**


	8. Chapter 8: Old Ties

Chapter 8: old ties

"Ew!" Flame's paw stepped in a large pile of mud as Alida smirked.

"You doing okay?" She asked as he shook his paw clean.

"I wish, why do the Shadow Dragons have to live in such a place? It's not exactly friendly is it?" Flame then remembered that Alida was a Shadow dragon.

"Oh, sorry…" he smiled nervously as Alida shrugged.

"It's fine, I've renounced my ties to this place, I'd much rather travel anywhere else, I agree with you, though, it's not friendly, and the Shadow Dragons like to keep it that way. They say it's an intimidation tactic, but being one of them, I can tell you they're much softer than they'll admit, they have armies, yes, but they also have a surprising amount of culture" Alida explained as Tachyon swatted a mosquito.

"Yeah? Well, I hope these bugs aren't part of that culture, I can't move two inches without feeling a slight pang in my body from one of these insects, back at my home, we have-" Tachyon was cut off by an irritated groan from Alida.

"You know, if you dislike this so much, just go back to the ocean and dally with your sharks and fish and whatnot, no one will miss you…" she sighed as Flame looked between the two of them.

"I probably would…" he murmured as he kept following Alida and Tachyon, the trio managed to eventually catch sight of the Shadow Kingdom, with the palace and all it's little houses beneath being very visible.

"That looks like a big palace" Tachyon pointed out as Alida muttered an agreement, although he couldn't hear her.

"Enough sight-seeing, we've got to get moving" Flame shoved the two of them out of the way as he walked ahead, they needed to get to the palace before Moonwalker's soldiers could find them again, the two started following again as they grew closer to the palace.

"I hope Queen Falcronia can treat us well and allow us passage to the Kingdom of Flames" Flame thought hopefully to himself as they finally made it to the gates into the kingdom.

"Not too guarded, is it?" Tachyon stated as Alida walked up to the gate.

"They don't need to guard themselves, since they've barely ever been attacked or visited, the Kingdom is protected by a magical spell that prevents entry unless the enchantment is spoken" she explained as she whispered a cryptic and mysterious language, and a large purple star appeared and unchained itself from the main gate, and opened.

"Woah, that's cool" Flame was in awe as they entered, and the gate closed again and resealed itself, immediately upon entry, Flame was hit with waves of sights, smells, and noise, the Kingdom was bustling, parents with their hatchlings were all over the place, the shops were bustling with activity.

"So much is going on!" Flame had to shout to Alida because of how loud it was, and she nodded in agreement, as she grabbed his arm and maneuvered through the crowd.

"Hey guys! Wait for me!" Tachyon cried out as he tried shoving through the crowd and pursuing them, but he was grabbed by two black dragons and silenced, meanwhile, Alida had gotten Flame and herself out of the crowd and looked around.

"Where do we start?" Flame asked.

"Well, we should go to the palace where Queen Falcronia is" she answered, it was then that Flame noticed that Tachyon was missing.

"Hey...where's Tachyon?" He asked as Alida also noticed.

"I'm not sure, but that cannot be good" she replied, then they saw a bunch of guards surround them, two of them holding Tachyon.

"It isn't good news for you, Alida" one of the guards walked up to them, he bore a set of gold armor as Alida gritted her teeth.

"It's good to see you too, Starflight…" she murmured as Starflight regained a cold expression.

"Take them to the palace" he ordered the other guards as they blindfolded them and escorted them to the palace.

"Hey! Let me go!" Tachyon tried to resist, but the Guard used an electric pike on him.

"Do not resist" he ordered as they took them to the palace, upon entry, their blindfolds were removed, and Flame was in awe at the palace's interior, the place was very refurbished, with decor all over the place practically, they were eventually taken through two gaping doors, where two Shadow Dragoness sat, one of them was definitely the Queen, as she bore a crown and other royal garments, the second was much younger, probably about Flames age, although he doubted that she was born on the night of the Blood Red Sky.

"She is rather beautiful though, it would make sense if she was the Queen's daughter" he thought to himself as they were brought before who he could only assume was Queen Falcronia.

"You have some nerve coming back here after what you did, Alida" her tone was not a welcoming one, making Flame and Tachyon fairly confused.

"What is she talking about? What did you do?" Flame asked as she looked down, refusing to speak.

"And you've brought friends, both males, I presume, this one is a cutie" Falcronia walked up to Flame and grabbed him by the chin, much to his displeasure, she eventually let go without hesitation.

"But more importantly, we need to discuss your fate, traitor!" She snarled at Alida, it was then that Flame spoke up.

"Excuse me, your majesty, but what exactly did she do?" He asked as the Queen laughed.

"You mean he doesn't know? Alida here is responsible for the death of my husband!" She sneered at her as Alida stood up in outrage.

"It was an accident!" She tried to convince the Queen, but she ignored her.

"Take her to the detention level" she ordered the guards, just as they were about to grab Flame and Tachyon, she stopped them.

"No, leave these two, I'm sure they have an interesting story to tell" She told the guards as they just took Alida, and Flame looked back at her with a saddened look.

"Now that that's out of the way, what brings you to the Shadow Kingdom? We haven't had any visitors since before the Great War" Queen Falcronia asked as Flame and Tachyon's bonds were removed, and Flame bowed.

"Your majesty, with all due respect, Alida was our guide here, and she's been helping me reach the Kingdom of Flames" he explained as the Queen grew interested.

"Oh really, and why is that?" She asked as Tachyon stepped up.

"Have you ever heard of the great prophecy? About the Fire Dragon born on the night of the Blood Red Sky?" He asked as she sighed.

"Yes, everyone knows the story, a Fire Dragon will one day rise up to combat Moonwalker and restore peace to Dea, everyone knows that story" she replied as he presented Flame.

"Well, he's that Dragon" his statement immediately drew many eyes to Flame as he tried to hide himself from all the attention.

"Oh, you are! You seem a little...young for the savior of Dea, though" the Queen pointed out.

"Well, the place where I was training was attacked, and I was forced to run away, but I know I'm ready" however, Flame's outer confidence heavily outweighed his inner confidence.

"I hope I mean what I say…" he thought to himself as the Queen continued gazing at him with interest.

"Hmm, I assume there's a reason you came here of all places" her statement was validated as they explained their predicament.

"So, you came here to access the secret tunnels? I'll consider it, for now, I'll find you two some guest rooms, the Ocean Dragon bothers me though" she pointed at Tachyon.

"Guards, escort him to his quarters, please" she ordered as they saw him off.

"My daughter, Cynder, has offered to give you a tour of the palace, I hope it's too your liking" she stated as Cynder stepped up in front of her mother.

"Now run along, you two, I've got to oversee Alida's final judgement for her actions" Falcronia was about to send them off when Flame said one last thing.

"Wait! Could you release Alida when we depart? She's our guide, she's got more knowledge of Dea's turf then I do" he requested as she was in deep thought.

"I'll consider it, now go" and that was her final word as Cynder led Flame out of the throne room, as soon as they left, Cynder was all over him with questions, she was infatuated with him.

"Not again…" Flame groaned in his thoughts.

"What was it like growing up alone? What did you study? How powerful are your abilities?" She asked all these things as Flame sighed.

"I'll tell you about it along the way, can you just start the tour?" He asked as she nodded enthusiastically.

"Sure thing" Cynder answered with a stupid grin on her face, she was definatly more into this than Flame was, the tour started off small with Cynder showing him the various rooms such as the Dining Hall, and the Kitchen.

"This is where all the magic happens" Cynder told Flame as he smelled the aroma and licked his lips in delight.

"What are they making? I've never smelled this before" he told her as she grew intrigued.

"Wait? You mean you've never had an actual meal before?" she asked as he nodded.

"Yep, my teachers were only ever to fix one type of meal for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, I got a little sick of the taste, but it kept me fed and alive" Flame explained as Cynder gasped in surprise.

"You poor Dragon, life must've been so hard" she replied with a very girly tone.

"Well, it wasn't too bad, except for Kasumi's training lessons, those were hard on me, though more physical than mental" he replied as Cynder grew more confused.

"Whose Kasumi?" she asked as Flame explained.

"I had two teachers: Viir, he was the closest thing I had to a father, and then there was Kasumi: the tough one, he wasn't easy on me, but he's the reason I know how to fight" he told her as she put all the pieces together, they eventually continued touring the rest of the palace, and Cynder started showing him the more extravagant things, like the Queen's treasury.

"Wow, this place is massive!" Flame was at a loss for words as Cynder nodded in agreement.

"Indeed, the treasury is, as most would expect, one of my Mother's most prized collections of artifacts and gold, she says her most prized possession is me, though" her statement made Flame feel a little bitter on the inside, he had no mother to tell him that, Cynder was lucky.

"Hey, are you okay?" She asked as Flame was snapped out of his thoughts, and he urgently retained his calmness.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine…" while he may have said those words, his tone suggested otherwise as Cynder recognized this.

"It's about your parents...I'm sorry, I should've been more sensitive" she replied as Flame grew surprised.

"It's fine, did you read my expression? I haven't met a Dragon who can read emotions so well" he said to her as she shrugged.

"It's nothing really, my Mother calls it Emotional Telepathy, makes a big deal out of it, I don't think it's much, but she takes me to all her council meetings so I can read how all of her officials feel, and she can adjust her rule to their needs, it helps strengthen the ties in our Kingdom, at least that's what my Mother says" Cynder explained as Flame grew intrigued.

"I've never heard of Emotional Telepathy before, none of the scrolls I've read have ever mentioned that ability, if it's indeed a true power, than you might be the first Dragon to wield it" Flame pointed out as Cynder appeared virtually surprised by this possible "super power" she possessed.

"Wow, I've never thought of it like that…" Cynder trailed off as Flame smiled.

"Just be sure to use it responsibly, that's the best thing you can do" he replied as they continued the tour, going through the various rooms and such, and they eventually came to the quarters where Flame would be staying.

"This will be your room, you'll have pretty much all you need for your stay" Cynder explained as Flame retainer a solemn expression.

"What're they going to do to Alida?" He asked with worry in his voice, to which Cynder shared his concern.

"I don't know, Alida was an old childhood friend of mine, but I don't think my mother will be to kind with her" she responded.

"How did Queen Falcronia's husband die?" Flame wondered as Cynder shrugged.

"Not even I know entirely, but from what I heard, there was an elemental breakout in the Catacombs, one of our Soldiers got infected with it, and was going to explode due to the overexposure of elements, my father was down there with Alida, who was studying magic under his tutelage, and supposedly she left him down there to die, yet the story seemed to well crafted to be true, I didn't trust it's legitimacy" she told him as Flame thought of an idea.

"Look, Cynder, I can't stay here, I have a destiny, and Alida is my guide through this place, we need to prove her innocence to the Queen somehow, is there any way you could possibly take me to her cell, and then to the Catacombs, I'm certain there are remains down there that we can analyze, and maybe we can get a different story from Alida" Flame explained as Cynder agreed with this course of action.

"Okay, I'll take you, but it has to be tomorrow though, you've just arrived, and I'm not sure that my mother will take too kindly to you going to the "detention level" as she calls it" she replied as Flame nodded.

"Very well, I'll wait. Also, when is dinner? I'm starving" Flame asked as Cynder giggled a little.

"Don't worry, dinner is on it's way, you'll be summoned to the Queen's dining room when it's ready, for now, enjoy your room" she informed him as she walked out and left Flame to himself, to ponder.

"This place is ridiculous, I've gotta find a way to get Alida out of that cell" he thought to himself, he sat down, curled up in the bed that was provided for him, and stared out the window, the moon was very bright as Flame glanced up to see a surprising phenomenon, it was snowing, although it caught him off guard, he welcomed the surprise, it was something he hadn't seen before, and it made him feel like a Hatchling again, suddenly his door was opened as a guard entered.

"The Queen has assigned me to escort you for dinner" he informed Flame as he nodded and stood up to follow him, as they walked through the dimly lit halls, he caught sight of Tachyon being escorted as well, as they walked up beside each other.

"Hey Flame, please tell me they didn't practically barricade you in your room" he said to the Fire Dragon.

"No, they didn't, the Queen's daughter gave me a tour of the palace, and that was pretty much it" Flame replied as Tachyon sighed, and said the next part in a whisper.

"What are we going to do about Alida?" He asked as Flame shrugged.

"I don't know, we can only hope that we can get her out of here" he replied in his own whisper, and the two proceeded to the dining room.


End file.
